Merry Christmas 2008

We wish everyone a holy Christmas.

Aria and Nadia are well entrenched at UCS (Columbia) and Natasha is finishing her Senior year and waiting to join Aria and Nadia next year.

Kim had carpel tunnel surgery on her left hand last week and is doing fine, but will have to be out of work for a couple of weeks. She has had a challenge this year -- the business has been good and she is Ernest's (her Dad) primary care giver. Meanwhile, she keeps everyone going.

I took Dad on two trips. In March we drove to his hometown of Marion, Indiana with stops at Nadine's (other daughter) in Tenn and to visit my friends, Vince and Bea in Kentucky. Dad got to visit places where he grew up and relatives he had not seen in awhile. We stayed with his sister, Tiny, who was a wonderful hostess.

In August we went to Cairo, Egypt, where he was stationed in WW2 and where he met his wife, Ida. We stayed with his niece, Nesarine, and her husband, RAdm (Ret., Egyptian Navy) Mahmoud (Mack) Metwally. It was a wonderful 10 days and the highlight was attending the wedding of their daughter, Engy Metwally.

Unfortunately, after returning home, Dad broke his hip in late August and has been in and out of the hospital since. He spent the last six weeks at home (we have visiting nurses and an assistant stays with him most of the day and when neither of us can be around. He is in the hospital now (congestive heart failure, anemia, renal insufficiency) for a tune-up and tests, but we expect him home for Christmas.

Manuel's neuro-sarcoidosis had not been a problem for most of the year, but began giving him some hip, leg, foot and eye (left) problems in October. He is now back on chemo once a month through February. Meanwhile, the Savannah River Site Citizens Advisory Board keeps his spare time occupied and he was elected to assume the Board Chair position for 2009.

Finally, Ruby sends everyone a hearty Australian Shepherd "Woof, Woof," and joins us all in wishing you blessings in the New Year.

Manuel, Kim, Dad, Aria, Nadia, Natasha, Ruby